Anyone here ever watched BBC Television Series "SS-GB" ?

[msfiddlestix]

If so, were you already familiar with the book of the same title?

I wasn't familiar with the book, and am embarrassed to admit I had no idea any part of England had been occupied by the German Nazi's during WWII. (Channel Islands)

This story is set in London. I'm only in the second episode, but it had me scampering to Wikipedia for fact checking history.

Watching it on Hoopla - a Library streaming service.

I don't know how I've missed this incredibly mind blowing bit of history, but it's quite telling:

from wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_the_Channel_Islands

[wcmagumba]

1. I knew but found out through a fictional movie (based on some facts)...

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society...quite good film...I can only find it on Netflix currently...I do subscribe to Hoopla so I'll look for SS-GB, thanks...

[msfiddlestix]

11. thanks for the tip, jotting it down for my netflix viewing.

Kanopy is another library streaming film service... it has a different film reportoire than Hoopla.

[Aristus]

2. The German occupation of Sark, the last feudal territory in the British Empire, is worth

reading about.

The Dame of Sark, Sibyl Hathaway, received praise for her imperious behavior towards the authority-loving German soldiers, insisting that they show her respect and deference.

But she has come under justifiable criticism for her obedience and support of German directives during the occupation, many of which were anti-Semitic.

[msfiddlestix]

7. Interesting and complicated

I'm just now delving in to this series, but the little bit I read on Wiki in terms of the treachery, breach of trust who turned into collaborators, etc etc. wow. A lot for me to catch up on.

[msfiddlestix]

12. thanks. on my library list now.

sounds to be interesting, and informative.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Technically, the Channel Islands aren't part of the UK proper - they're 2 "Crown Dependencies"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom#Dependencies

They have independence for things like tax, but not defence (which was, I suppose, the main point in WW2). They're the remnant of the time when England controlled land on the continent (eg Calais, up to the 1550s). They weren't in the EU, for example.

I had heard of the SS-GB book (Len Deighton is a well-known thriller author in Britain - he wrote The Ipcress File, if you've seen the Michael Caine film of that), but never read it.

[msfiddlestix]

13. I'll for the Ipcress File, Michael Cain rarely failed pulling off roles in these kinds of stories.

I'll look forward to it.

Seems like I just culled in a few good book and film titles....

[msfiddlestix]

14. searching for Ipcress Files, it looks like it might have been on Netflix, but not there now.

I'll check other potential sources.

[Ilsa]

4. I knew about occupation of

Channel Islands. One of the History Channel programs showed were the prison was, etc. Sounded very horrible.

What does SS-GB stand for?

I'll have to check out Hoopla.

[msfiddlestix]

8. Nazi's SS in Great Britain, as I took it to refer to.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. Read the book and saw the TV series

Both are good.

There have been a few British TV series about the occupation of the Channel Islands (which are under the crown but not legally part of England).

[msfiddlestix]

9. I haven't seen any dramatization of this history.

The tv series uses London as an alternative setting to real events as it is fictionalized, however it was treated as though it were actual events, wouldn't you say? In any event, it had me racing off to Wikipedia.

[DavidDvorkin]

15. SS-GB is what's known as alternate history

Such stories are always told that way.

If you're referring to the dramas about the occupation of the Channel Islands, those were done as historical fiction.

[msfiddlestix]

16. Right, except apparently the Channel Islands were occupied according to Wikipedia

I never had the geography in relation to Normandy fixed in my understanding of that history, until now.

Per Wikipedia at this link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_the_Channel_Islands

The German occupation of the Channel Islands lasted for most of World War II, from 30 June 1940 until liberation on 9 May 1945. The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are two British Crown dependencies in the English Channel, near the coast of Normandy. The Channel Islands were the only de jure part of the British Empire to be occupied by Nazi Germany during the war.

Anticipating a swift victory over Britain, the occupying German forces initially experimented by using a relatively moderate approach to the non-Jewish population, supported by local collaborators. However, as time progressed the situation grew gradually worse, leading to forced labour, mass deportations and ending in near starvation for both occupied and occupiers during the winter of 1944.

Not to get all paranoid or anything, but when I see trump humping boot lickers carrying the Nazi flag such as the occasion in Charlottesville Va, in 2017, and other events, I see people who would intend to carry on these very atrocities here on our soil.

If they had a smarter more strategically thinking psychopath as their leader, it could be pulled off here.

[sarisataka]

6. Read the book but haven't seen the show

I'll have to check it out

[msfiddlestix]

10. I'm sure I'll be looking for the book..

screen play is blowing me away.